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Nephilim
When man began to multiply on the face of the land and daughters were born to them, the sons of God saw that the daughters of man were attractive. And they took as their wives any they chose. Then the LORD said, "My Spirit shall not abide in man forever, for he is flesh: his days shall be 120 years." The Nephilim were on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of man and they bore children to them. These were the mighty men who were of old, the men of renown. (Genesis 6:1-4, English Standard Version) Nephilim '''a.k. a. '''The Fallen Ones '''or The Marvelous Ones', are the children of human women and the angels, who initially appear to be perfectly normal humans. They rarely contract any childhood diseases, however, and sometime between the ages of twelve and eighteen they experience amazing abilities. They are strong, fearless and intelligent, charismatic, attractive, and confident. The majority of nephilim live peacefully among full humans while hiding their dual heritage from the mundane. There is redemption for them, if they serve their purpose, they live to fight off the darkness, and the agents of Satan and his court. History Ancient stories tell of times when the powers of Lawful Good sent down their Celestial servants to watch over the world. In some versions of the story it was the Ultimate God himself that commissioned an army of Angels to be sentinels against evil. According to the tales, as the Celestials spent more time upon the Earth they began to lose their heavenly purity. Eventually, some of the angels started to lust after human women, and longed to have families just like mortals. Abandoning their posts, the angels fell from heavenly grace to become the lovers and husbands of human women. The children born from those unions were tall and strong, but possessed of wild passions and boundless desires. Such children, and their descendants, are called Nephilim. In the eyes of the unfallen Celestials, a Nephil (the plural form is Nephilim) represents a degradation of the spirit, rather than an uplifting of the material. Damned from birth by the powers of Heaven, Nephilim learn to rely on their own considerable prowess to achieve the fame and power they instinctively crave. Although most Nephilim come from ancient linages that date to the first falling of the angels, Nephilim continue to be born to wholly human mothers who either marry or are seduced by disguised Celestials. Overview The Nephilim, sometimes referred to as the Redeemers or the Ascended, are unique in their beliefs about Kindred nature. While they accept that all Kindred are damned by God, they believe that damnation is merely a test. Their view of vampirism clearly differs greatly from that of other religious covenants, the fundamental difference being that the Nephilim believe God’s message is one of righteous morality and duty, Damned or not. If the Sanctified are the wolves amongst the flock, then the Nephilim are the shepherds, providing moral guidance and a humane compass pointing Kindred to a righteous existence, perhaps even Golconda. Once a Kindred joins the Brotherhood, they take on the name of one of the Heavenly Host to indicate the specific direction they are taking their requiem. This adopted name often becomes their everyday name and is used in all social circles, not only within the covenant itself. The Nephilim gradually acquires aspects of their chosen Angel and incorporates that spirit into their righteous work. Once they are fully comfortable with their role, they assume a title within the covenant that reflects their position, ranging from spiritual advisor to holy avenger. The order takes their spiritual role very seriously. They strive to lead by example as virtuous Kindred and to demonstrate the power of life in service to God. By necessity, they are confident Kindred and will take any opportunity to debate theology in public, particularly the theology of the Lancea Sanctum, which is excruciatingly different from the Redeemers’. The Nephilim are largely defined by a single idea: Kindred are divine hosts and are descendants of the angels cast out of Heaven. This conviction serves as the foundation of the covenant’s principles, a bulwark for their moral righteousness, and the genesis of continuous academic and theological conflict with Kindred who insist they are monsters and nothing more. It is ideal that all members strive to remain as humane as possible. However, it is equally true that the Nephilim believe themselves not just God’s messengers, but also His warriors. Angels have always served this role. For the Ascended, this role entails the duty to destroy the Brood wherever they raise their head. In this the Nephilim are unrelenting. Brood are given two choices, either abandon their wicked ways or be purged. While nearly all Kindred support such righteous work, it is this zeal which causes the most internal suffering amongst the Nephilim. Physical Description The physical characteristics of nephilim tend to vary, however, they are generally revered as unearthly beautiful people. Most of these nephilim simply appear human in form with minor angelic traits such as enhanced strength, unique natural eye or hair colors, advanced healing, and sometimes psychic abilities. Biology Nephilim are identical to humans in most ways. They eat and drink the same things, and perform all the same biological functions. They have the same lifespans as ordinary humans. If a Nephil mates with an ordinary human the child will be a human. The children of two Nephilim, however, will also be Nephilim. Thus, there are many Nephilim who are many generations removed from contact with Celestial beings. They give off a very distinctive smell to angels and demons that is considered repulsive to the most stringent of both classes, which makes them easy to track. As beings of angelic descent the blood that courses through their veins are blessed with the essence of the divine. Their blood is sacred, and is delectable and intoxicating to vampires, or other blood thirsty creatures. As such any that would feed off the Nephilim or worse, commit the basest sin of Amaranth, find that they are punished for their transgression, as the blood burns through their vile damned bodies. Nephilim can use their blood to heal others by injecting them with their own blood.' ' Also nephilim have a higher body temperature then humans. Psychology & Behavior Nephilim grow up with a sense of entitlement, and a strong impatience when they don’t get their way. Adult Nephilim are frequently viewed as egotistical, even megalomaniacal. Nephilim do everything on a large scale. They are prone both to acts of great heroism, and massive evil. When Nephilim build structures they always endeavor to make them as large and imposing as possible. Nephilim love to build palaces with myriad rooms dedicated to single activities. They prefer to take many lovers at the same time rather than settle down with a single mate. Nephilim generally don’t like having limits on their own behavior, although they frequently have no problem with imposing them on others. They are drawn to positions of command and power, or else they become wandering heroes who swear allegiance to nothing but their own glory. Many Nephilim will create cults around themselves, and gleefully accept the adulation and even worship of ordinary humans Nephilim tend to be Good. They look for the good in everyonen around them. Many become paladins. Some nephilim have no tolerance for evil at all, and will happily join up if the local church calls a Crusade. There are a few evil nephilim, but they are rarely seen. More than one nephilim was in them forefront of the Inquisition that occurred following the end of the Demon Wars. Nephilim often love to hunt, and are renowned for their bravery and ability to bring down large and dangerous prey. Many Nephilim make their living hunting monsters, and may decide to adventure simply for the opportunity to kill dangerous beasts (and be seen doing it). Despite their ancestry, Nephilim are never of Lawful Good Alignment. Society Nephilim tend to do well in in human society, often becoming Royal Champions, military commanders, personal bodyguards, and elite soldiers. In their own nations, the Nephilim have human-like societies, except that everything will seem exaggerated to the eyes of ordinary humans. Holidays last longer and are more intensely celebrated, the cuisine is more intensely spiced and favored, the costumes worn by people are over-elaborate, the titles of nobility are excessively long, the architecture is grandiose, and simple events like a casual greeting can become the basis of lifelong feuds. In some places, Nephilim have established themselves as a noble class ruling over ordinary humans. In those places the noble culture will seems as ostentatious as that of a Nephil nation, although such extravagance may not be reflected in the way the ordinary people live. Powers '''Angel Physiology:' Although outwardly they appear to be ordinary humans, the nephilim are bestowed with celestial powers that they inherent from the father angel. All nephilim have a powerful charisma, but are otherwise indistinguishable from a human. They are often fast and strong beyond the limits of human ability. Some nephilim might show this strength in intelligence or leadership ability instead. Whatever their strengths, nephilim are very aware of their surroundings, and are generally excellent at reading people. Although they are mortal, nephilim will not sicken, and tend to live longer lives than normal humans. Aside from this, though, they are essentially humans, with all the weaknesses that entails. They can even acheive natural proficiencies with all kinds of weaponry and combatant styles without the need of special or long-term education. *'Enhanced Intelligence:' Nephilim possess an intelligent awareness with which to learn theoretical concepts, additional knowledge may have been passed on to the Nephilim by their highly intelligent fathers. Nephilim are intelligent enough to develop advanced skills as warrior race and medical skills. As a result of the angelic process they have undergone they are capable of knowledge, wisdom and comprehension beyond the human ability to understand. Their intuition is heightened to the degree that their hunches are almost always correct. Nephilim have a perfect memory with the ability to recall recall of everything they've ever seen, read or heard. *'Precognition:' Nephilim have the supernatural ability to experience simple or prophetic visions of the future. At first, they are merely capable of experiencing vague dreams of the future while asleep. While in their waking state, they experience vivid premonitions. Their also able to sense the immediate actions of people and things in their current location and also allows them to detect the use of magic and supernatural beings. *'Retrocognition: '''Nephilim are now able to experience vivid flashes of past events through physical contact with an object or person. They experience these visions mostly often to see into a person's past or to see the truth of a past situation. *'Empathy: Nephilim are able to sense the emotions or feelings of other sentient life forms in their pressence. This leaves the nephilim prone to forming psychic links with others; even with individuals further across time. This can even go as far as using the link as a honing device to locate those the nephilim connect with through their emotions. *'Mediumship: '''Nephilim are able to perceive and communicate with spirits, and see the true faces of angels, demons, reapers and other things not visible to humans. *'Perspicuity: Psychic abilities cannot penetrate the Nephilim. Not even illusions, mind control, and the energy-draining abilities of supernatural beings work against the Nephilim. *'Longevity:' Nephilim have a slower aging process and while they will die eventually, a Nephilim can live up to five hundred years, although most of them never make it that far, considering how often they're hunted. *'Superhuman Strength:' Nephilim are much stronger than any being. Their strength seems to be tied to their anger, becoming stronger the more they give into their rage. They have also have the strength to lift objects hundreds of times their own weight, smash through stone walls, overpowering any individual they engage in combat and take far more trauma than humans can without much discomfort or injury. They are also more powerful than other supernatural creatures, except and angels and gods. Their strength also extends into the muscles of their legs, allowing them to jump or leap incredible distances and heights. *'Superhuman Speed:' Nephilim are to be faster than any non-supernatural creature and run at an extremely high speed. This allows them to easily outrun any human, and are capable of blurring, which makes it nearly impossible for a human to perceive their movements when they are sprinting or moving at full speed. The reflexes of a nephilim are similarly enhanced and are far greater than normal. In combination with their speed, their reflexes allow them to dodge almost any attack, or even gunfire. At its zenith; it includes the stamina to run as fast as 100 MPH before beginning to tire out from physical exhaustion. *'Superhuman Agility:' Nephilim's agility, balance, and bodily coordination are all enhanced to levels that are equal to, or in most cases beyond, the natural physical limits of even a Olympic athlete. They can also easily perform any complicated sequence of gymnastics stunts such as flips, rolls, and springs at speeds and angles that would be highly difficult or impossible for a ordinary human. *'Superhuman Durability: '''Nephilim's body is physically tougher and more resistant to injury than the body of a normal human. Although they can still be damaged and killed by knives, stabbing weapons, bullets, shrapnel, and physical impact, their bodies hold together much better than normal. They can withstand great impacts, such as powerful blows that would severely injure or kill a human, falling from a height of several stories or being struck by a opponent of similar or greater physical strength, that would severely injure or kill a normal human with little to no discomfort. *'Healing Factor:' Nephilim are enable to fully heal and recover from injuries such as gunshots, broken bones, burns, bite wounds, damaged or missing eyes, and torso impalement. The speed of regeneration is usually dependant on how severe their injury is. Standard cuts and wounds tend to heal very fast, while larger wounds can take longer. Nephilim are immune to most poisons and drugs, and their accelerated metabolism allows them to stay in near perfect shape with only light exercise. This also makes it extremely difficult for them to become intoxicated from alcohol. Nephilim are also immune to most standard diseases and it is nearly impossible for them to catch a cold or common flu. Weakness '''Half Angel: '''Nephilim are still half human and still experience human weaknesses. They're stronger than any other being, expect the angels can easily overpower them with their might. '''Heaven’s Enmity: '''Lawful Good Celestial creatures regard Nephilim as the worst kind of abominations, more detestable than even demons and devils. A Lawful Good Celestial creature will always react negatively to a Nephil, and will always interpret the angel’s words and actions in the worst possible light. Only a direct order from the deity they serve will ever cause a Lawful Good Celestial creature to aid a Nephil in any way. Nephilim can never benefit from healing or other miracles from Lawful Good Clerics or Paladins. '''Angelic Wrath: '''When a nephilim is furious, their anger increase all their powers and abilities for a short period of time, as well as more powerful and much more overwhelming can have an advantage over a demon. '''Hunted: '''Nephilim are viewed as a disgrace and a complete mistake to every normal angel, making them a prime subject for hunting. There are entire choirs of angels dedicated to the extermination of nephilim. '''Demonic Possession: '''The nephilim's human half can be overshadow by demons. Unless their angel half is strong enough, they might be able to destroy the demon from the inside of their body. '''Magic:' Nephilim are still a mortal and are, as such, still vulnerable to the workings of magic in all its forms. Black magic has an adverse effect on them, and they're able to be trapped inside of an pentagram which weakens their powers to where they're no stronger then the average human. '''Heart Extraction: '''If the heart of a nephilim is removed by an angel, it will cause instant death. Category:Supernatural Category:Creatures Category:Angels Category:Hybrids Category:Humans